Combined fence-wire stretcher and post-brace.



, PATBNTED SEPT. 26, 1905. H. B. SCOTT 6r. J. E. HUGHES,

GMBINBDYFBNCB WIRE STRETCHER AND POST BRAG.

PPLIGATION FILED .TUNE 2e, l1905.

UNITED srnfrns PATENT- onirica.

HARRY B. SCOTT AND JESSE E. HUGHES, OF OSGOOD, MISSOURI.

COMBINED FENCE-WiRE STRETCHER AND POST-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 2b, 1905.

Application filed June 26, 1905. Serial No. 267,093.

.To all whom, t may concern:

yresiding at Osgood,`in the county of' Sullivan and State of Missouri,have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n a CombinedFence-Wire Stretcher and Post-Brace; and We do declare the following tobe a full, clear, and

exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Qur invention relates to improvements in combined fence-wire stretchersand Jfence-post' braces.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in construction, durable in use,and well adapted for the purpose intended.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists ol"certain novel features ot' construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed;

In the accompanying drawings we have shown a perspective View of aportion of a wire fence with our impr'oved stretching and bracing deviceapplied thereto.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes a wire fence consistingof a series of vertical posts 2, .connected by longitudinal wires 3, and4 denotes our improved stretching and bracing device. The lattercomprises aA toggle-lever 5, consisting of a long bar or member 6 and ashort member 7, which has a bifurcated portion 8 at oneend, throughwhich the member 6 projects and in which it is adjustably pivoted bymeans of a cross pin or bolt 9, which is passed through alining openings10 in the bifurcated end of the member -7 `and through any one of aseries of longitudinallyextending openings ll, formed in the member 6intermediate its ends. The opposite end of the member 6 of thetoggle-lever is beveled, as shown at '12, and adapted to engage a notch13, formed in one of the two posts between.

which the device 4 is mounted. The member 6 is adapted to be disposeddiagonally between the last-mentioned posts and has its lower vendbeveled, as shown at 14, to engage the vlower end of one of said posts,as shown. The opposite or upper end of the member 6 is formed witha'series of openings 15', with any one of which is engaged one end of acable or flexible connection 16, which is passed about a guidepulley. 17and has its opposite end secured to a hand-lever 18 at smedistance fromits lower end. Said pulley 17 is journaled ina block or casing 19, whichis connected to the lower end of one of the posts 2 by a detachable band20. The upper end ot' the other of the two posts between which thedevice is mounted is connected by a cable or flexible connection 21 tothe lower end of the hand-lever 18, the connection of the cable 21 tothe upper end of said post being-preferably effected by forming said endof the cable with a loop 22, which is adapted to lit over'the top ot'said post.

It will be seen that when the parts are in Y outwardly or away from theinner post with which the member 6 is engaged. Itl will be understoodthat in stretching the fence-wires 3 their ends are fixed to theoutermost post and pass loosely through staples or other fasteningdevices upon two or more of the adjoining inner posts and that they arenot fastened to the latter post until they have been stretched.

In order to hold the two posts between which the device is mountedandthe fencewires in their stretched positions while the latter are beingsecured to the inner posts, we may provide a coil-spring 23 between theupper handle end of the lever 18 andthe top of the post 2 with which themember 6 of the toggle isengaged, and we may also provide a brace 24between the top of the last-mentioned post and the upper endof thelmember 6-of the toggle-lever.- This brace 24 has one of its endsbeveled, as shown at 25, to engage a notch in the upper portion of thepost with which the toggle member 6 is engaged, and its opposite end mayalso be beveled, as shown at 26, to engage one of aseries of notches 28,formed in the toggle member 6.

As shown, the. cable 16`is preferably passed IOO through one of a seriesof openings formed parts it will be seen that the device may be placedbetween posts disposed at different distances from each other.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing' from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described our invention` what We claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A device of the character described comprising a toggle-leverconsisting oi' two pivotally-connected members adapted to be engagedwith adjacent fence-posts, a lever, a flexible connection having one endattached to said lever and its other end adapted to be engaged with afence-post, a guide-pulley adapted to be attached to a fence-post, and asecond flexible connection passed about said pulley and having one endattached to said lever and its other end to one of the members ofsaidtoggle-lever, substantially as described.

2. A device of the character described comprising a toggle-leverconsisting of a long and a short member adapted to be arranged betweentwo fence-posts, said short member being bifurcated to receive the longone, a pivot-pin passing through the bifurcated end of said short memberand through one of a series of longitudinal openings in said longmember, a hand-lever, a flexible connection having one end attached tosaid lever and its other end adapted to be engaged with a feneepost, aguide-pulley adapted to be attached to a tence-post, a second ilexibleconnection passed around said pulley and having one end attached to saidlever and its other end passed through an aperture in the slrt memberolf said toggle-lever and zuljustably connected to the long member ot'said toggle-lever, and means for holding the members ol saidtoggle-lever in their adjusted position, substantially as described.

3. The combination with two adjacent fenceposts, et' a toggle-leverconsisting ol long and short members adjustably pivoted together andadapted to have their opposite ends engaged with said fence-posts, abami-lever, a flexible connection having one end attached to said leverand its opposite end to the upper portion of one ot' said posts, aguide-pulley mounted upon the lower portion ol the other of said posts,a llexible connection passed around said pulley and having one ol itsends attached to said lever and its other end to the long member ot`said toggle-level', a brace-bar between one of said posts and the longmember of said lever, and a spring connecting the free end of said leverto one ol said posts, substantially as described.

In testimony whereotl we have hereunto set our hands in presence oi twosubscribing witnesses.

HARRY l. SCOTT. JESSE E. lil UG HES.

lalitnesses:

JNO. S. Coolisnr, lne HUGiins.

